


Cross The Line

by Onthecyberseas



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Running Away, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-05 23:53:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6728404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onthecyberseas/pseuds/Onthecyberseas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby decides to leave town and start fresh, leaving her memories behind. Can Belle help her remember and bring her home? Eventual Red Beauty. Set after the Season 2 Finale. Originally posted on FFN.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ruby Lucas watched from afar as Mr. Gold and Belle said their goodbyes on the dock. By the looks of it, it was clear that Belle had miraculously gained her memories back. She was thrilled that her friend was back, but her heart ached when she realized that it was probably "True Love's Kiss," that was the cause. She watched as they kissed and Rumplestiltskin got on the boat with the others who went after Henry. She saw her friend's tears as the boat went through the portal to Neverland and she stood alone on the dock.

The truth was, Belle had stolen Ruby's heart from the moment she had walked into Granny's and ordered three iced teas. Their friendship had grown in that time, but she had known for sure that she was in love with the girl when she looked into her eyes and told her that she didn't believe that she was a monster. Their friendship had its challenges, mostly because of her rash decisions hurting Belle, but she enjoyed every minute that she spent with the librarian. She knew that she hadn't loved anyone like this since Peter, but she knew that it would never come to fruition.

As much as Ruby hated Rumplestiltskin, she couldn't deny that he was Belle's true love. She knew that Belle deserved someone who treated her better than even she could treat her, and from what she had seen and heard, Rumplestiltskin was not up to the task. However, Ruby knew the rules of their world: True Love would always win out over anything else.

She noticed that Belle hadn't moved, and she took a deep breath. She cautiously approached her, not wanting to alarm her. "Hey Belle," said Ruby softly. Belle jumped a little at the sound of Ruby's voice, and she turned around. Belle smiled at the sight of her friend. Ruby continued, "Welcome back."

"Thanks," Belle said through her tears. Ruby saw her hesitation and knew that she needed to say something.

"I'm so sorry," Ruby said, "For everything. I shouldn't have lied to you."

"It's okay," Belle said, "You were doing what you thought was best."

Noticing that Belle was still crying, Ruby asked, "Do you want to go back to Granny's with me?"

Belle shook her head, "Maybe later. I just want to be alone right now."

"Okay, just know that I'm here for you."

Belle pulled Ruby into a hug, "Thank you." Ruby inhaled Belle's scent of fresh books and tea and never wanted to leave the woman's embrace. Reluctantly, Ruby pulled away and turned around, walking back to Granny's.

As soon as she walked back to the diner, Granny approached her, "Where the hell have you been?"

"Belle's back," Ruby said simply before returning to work. Granny nodded, giving her a knowing look. Throughout her shift, Ruby kept her eye on the door, hoping that Belle would come in, but she never did.

Closing time came and there was still no sign of Belle. Ruby closed up and packed a bag of food for Belle. She walked over to the library and knocked on the locked door.

Belle opened the door and Ruby held out the bag, "I figured that you were hungry."

"Thank you," Belle took the bag from her and smiled.

"Can I come in?" Ruby hoped that she could cheer Belle up.

Belle, however, shook her head, "Now's not a good time."

Ruby's face fell, "Maybe some other time?"

"Maybe."

"Good night then."

"Good night." For the second time that day, Ruby walked away from Belle feeling terrible. She really wanted to help, but she knew that she was powerless. As she walked to the Inn and trudged up the stairs to her room, she thought about everything.

When she reached the safety of her room, Ruby locked the door and let the tears flow freely. She realized that her troubles were more than Belle just pushing her away, more than Belle being in love with someone else. She had been really unhappy over the last few months in more ways than one. With all of the things that had happened, her best friend hadn't had any time for her. She knew that Snow and Charming were busy with Cora and Regina and all of that drama, but it was like Ruby didn't exist anymore. Actually, that was a lie. Apparently, she only existed when Snow needed her to babysit or someone needed to find someone, and even then she was usually forgotten.

She was tired of being forgotten and it honestly felt like she was being written out of her own story. On more than one occasion, she wondered if anyone would care if she left town or if they would just replace her with someone else. The only person who seemed to appreciate her was Granny. Wiping her eyes, she got ready for bed, resolving to try and talk to Belle tomorrow.

The next day, she had no luck, but Ruby refused to give up. The day after brought no success either. She continued to bring Belle her lunch in hopes that she would let her in and open up to her, but to no avail. On the fourth day, she slumped against the refrigerator door, frustrated and figuring that nobody would notice if she just moved into the fridge and froze in there, only to be brought out on special occasions.

She didn't know what to do. She knew that Belle was unhappy, and it killed her that she couldn't fix it. For the hundredth time, she seriously considered leaving town and getting a fresh start. Ruby glanced at her Granny, who had come in to get more steaks. She loved her Granny, but she didn't know how much longer she could stay here with the way things were. Granny noticed her and told her to take a break. She went for a walk in the woods, imagining a new life for herself. Many flashes of fantasies popped into her mind. A particularly strong fantasy involved her being a secret service agent assigned to protect a man with a microchip in his brain, but she knew that it wouldn't be the life for her, and it would probably be over in a couple of weeks.

After an hour, she made her way back into Storybrooke. She almost made it back to Granny's, when a call of, "Ruby," stopped her in her tracks.

She sighed and turned around, "Hello Victor."

Whale caught up to her and smirked at her, "So, I've been thinking. You and me should go out."

Ruby shook her head, "No thanks, I'd rather be friends."

Victor took a step forward, "Come on Rubes, we're meant to be."

Taking a step back, Ruby asked, "And why's that?"

"You're hot, I'm hot and you saved my life."

Ruby sighed, "Look Victor, I really enjoyed our conversation by the docks, but I just want to be friends."

Victor leaned in to kiss her. Ruby's wolf reflexes allowed her to quickly smack him across the face. "Get the fuck away from me."

Ruby ran to the Inn and dashed to her room. Slamming the door behind her, she went to her desk. She pulled out two pieces of paper and a pencil, her mind made up. She scribbled a note to herself and pocketed it and then wrote a note to Granny. When she was satisfied, she left the note on the desk. She pulled out a backpack and started packing. A few pieces of clothing and some protein bars were shoved into the bag. She knew that she was probably being rash, but she needed to get away from this town and start fresh, even if it meant leaving the ones she loved behind.

Closing the door and locking it behind her, Ruby left the Inn and ran to the town line. Taking a deep breath, she knew that there was no going back after this. She took a step over the line and then another.

Her mind went completely blank. She looked around, having no idea where she was or even who she was. She pulled her backpack off of her back and looked for any clues, but there was nothing. She felt in her pockets and found a note inside. It read,

Ruby-

Walk away from the town, you'll be much happier.

"My name is Ruby," she thought as she looked at the "Now Leaving Storybrooke" sign. She didn't understand what was going on or who put the message in her pocket, but it was the only lead she had. Terrified, she ran away from the town, hoping to find someone who could help her figure out who she was and where she had come from.


	2. Chapter 2

Belle put her book down at the sound of a harsh knock on the library door. She sighed, knowing that it was probably Ruby again. The girl had spent the last few days attempting to have a girl's night, but Belle hadn't been in the mood to see anybody. The one person she wanted to talk to was on a pirate ship in the heart of Neverland. Between losing her memory, her stint as Lacey, regaining her memories, and saying goodbye to her true love, she had a lot of things to sort out. She felt bad that she kept refusing to see Ruby, as the girl was only trying to help, but she hoped that she would understand what she was feeling.

Walking over to the door, she unlocked it. Pulling it open, she was surprised to see Granny on the other side. More surprising, was that she was glaring at her as though Belle had threatened her. Granny was just as terrifying when she wasn't pointing her crossbow at you.

"Can I help you?" Belle knew it was best to skip the pleasantries and find out why the woman was so angry.

Granny invited herself in, pushing her way through the door and striding forward prepared for a confrontation. "Yes, you can help me get my granddaughter back."

Belle furrowed her brow in confusion, "Ruby's gone?"

Granny reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She shoved it into Belle's hand, "You don't leave a note if you're just going to the Rabbit Hole."

Unfolding the note, Belle saw that it was in fact a handwritten note in Ruby's handwriting. Holding it up, Belle read it.

Dear Granny,

I've decided to leave town and start fresh. I don't want to leave you, but I feel like this is the best option for me and everyone else. There's nothing for me in this town anymore, besides the diner, and I think I'll be happier in a new place, free from the memories of my past life. I know you're hurt, but please know that I love you. All I ask is that you check up on Belle and make sure that she is doing alright. I wish you and her nothing but the best.

With A Heavy Heart,

Ruby

Belle looked from the note to Granny, her hands shaking and her tears fighting to break free. She read the note a second time, hoping that the words weren't true. The words were still there, and cut like a knife. She looked at Granny, feeling sad for the woman in front of her. "I'm so sorry," Belle tried to reassure her. She stepped forward to comfort the woman.

Granny stepped back and snapped. "It's your fault you know."

"Excuse me?" Belle was taken aback at the accusation.

"She was in love with you," Granny said coolly.

Belle's head was spinning. Granny couldn't possibly mean that, "What are you talking about?"

"Have you ever seen the way that she looks at you?" Belle thought back to her interactions with Ruby. She always looked happy to see her and would go out of her way to make her happy, but that was what friends do, right? Belle looked at Granny and shook her head.

"When she talked to me about you, her face lit up like a Christmas tree," Granny told her, "I've only seen her look that way once before." Belle was in shock but the fact that Granny referred to Ruby's first boyfriend still registered in her chaotic mind.

Granny didn't give her a chance to respond. "I thought that you could at least continue to develop your friendship once you had gotten your memories back. Of course you had to push her away to mope over your Stockholm Syndrome boyfriend."

Belle stared at her blankly. She had never heard of this Stockholm Syndrome and had no idea what it meant. The books she read never mentioned it. Judging by Granny's tone, it was a negative thing. "I don't understand," Belle said.

"Figure it out," Granny replied sharply before walking out of the library, leaving Belle to her own thoughts.

Sliding down the wall, Belle let the tears flow. Ruby was gone. Ruby was never coming back. Ruby was supposedly in love with her. If Granny was right, than Belle had pushed her best friend away, possibly for good. She sat there in a crying heap for several moments. Wiping the tears away, Belle stood up determined to sort everything out.

 

Ruby walked down the sidewalk, panting. She had no idea where she was, she knew nothing about herself besides her name. That strange note had told her to get away from the town of Storybrooke and Ruby had run as fast as she could, having no idea where she was going.

She ran out of breath, finally feeling exhausted after hours. She wondered if perhaps she was an athlete in her past life, because everything had gone by in a blur. When she had stopped running, she found herself in a quiet little town with a beach. Her stomach growled and she had realized that she hadn't eaten in hours. From a search of her bag, she found a couple of protein bars inside. The sight of a restaurant called "The Cottage Café," seemed like a more attractive option. She was pleased to find that she had a wallet full of money, and she entered the café.

It was a small restaurant with two dining rooms and a bar where big screen TVs played several sports games. A blonde woman with bright blue eyes and a beautiful smile greeted her. "Hello, how many?" The woman spoke with a pleasant Australian accent.

She seemed very welcoming and Ruby couldn't help but smile, "One." The hostess took her to a small table in the right dining room.

Handing her the menu, she said, "Hi, I'm Claire."

"Ruby," she replied, taking the menu from her.

Claire smiled, "I haven't seen you around here before."

"To be honest, I don't know where I am…or who I am," Ruby found it easy to talk to this girl. Upon seeing Claire's expression, Ruby explained the events of the evening to her.

Claire seemed fascinated by the story, "And you just showed up in our town of Cape Cod?" Ruby nodded. "You could stay here for a while. I could ask my Grandpa about a room at the inn, he owns it," she explained.

Ruby knew better than to trust random strangers, especially in her predicament, but something about Claire was very trustworthy to her. "Thank you," she said.

"No problem," Claire replied, "Let me know when you're ready and I'll take your order."

"Aren't you the hostess?"

Claire laughed, "And owner. We're a little understaffed here."

An idea came to Ruby, "Well, seeing as I'm going to be staying here, I could help out."

Claire looked as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, "Thank you."

Scanning the menu, an item caught Ruby's eye. "I'll have the pancakes," Ruby said handing the menu back to Claire.

As Claire walked away, Ruby sat back in her seat, looking around at the restaurant. It wasn't home, at least she didn't think so, but it was a nice place to spend some time. Perhaps, maybe her memories would come back during her time here, and she would figure out who she was and where she truly belonged.


	3. Chapter 3

Walking through the bookshelves, Belle looked for a book that could give her the answers she needed. Ruby had started to teach her about the Internet and the wonders of Google before everything had happened, but Belle found comfort in reading a book. Sure the Internet would be quicker, but Belle needed all of the comfort she could at the moment.

As she looked through the shelves, a book on psychology caught her eye. She figured that it was best to start there. The book was big and heavy, but Belle managed to pull it out. Bringing it over to her favorite chair, she sat down and lightly wiped the dust off the book.

Belle immediately flipped to the index of the book. She was really glad that this world had come up with such things as indexes and tables of contents to help one find specific information. Despite a lack of magic, this world had come up with a lot of inventions that those in the Enchanted Forest wouldn't even have dreamed of. She flipped to the "S" category and found that "Stockholm Syndrome" was on page 1812. Flipping to the page, she read the description.

Stockholm Syndrome is when a hostage, kidnap victim or abuse victim develops a sense of loyalty or co-operation towards their captor or abuser, disregarding the abuse or the danger and protecting or sustaining the perpetrator.

Belle shut the book, unable to believe what she had just read. Sure she had started out as a prisoner in Rumplestiltskin's castle, she had agreed to it to protect her village from harm. She had worked as a servant in his castle, but she had seen that he was a good man underneath the glitter and snark. He wasn't perfect, but no one was. She loved him and had gone back to him after Regina had told her about true love's kiss. Belle had been so happy when her kiss worked. Still, she also remembered the horrible things that he had done to her. The first night, he threw her in a prison cell like she was an animal. She remembered the incident when she pleaded with him to let Robin Hood go. He trapped her with his magic, but he eventually relented. She remembered her fear as he had grabbed her and shook her after he found out where she had found out about the magic of true love's kiss. After he screamed at her, he once again threw her into the cell like she was a ragdoll. Those were terrible moments in their relationship, but was it really abuse?

When they had reunited in Storybrooke, after Emma had broken the curse on the town, Belle was ecstatic to see him again. After being trapped for so long in the town's asylum, he was a sight for sore eyes. She begged him not to give in to his hate and take revenge on Regina. She had been upset when he ignored her wishes, especially because she knew that he could do better. She remembered when she found out that he had murdered his former wife, how disappointed she had been in him. Still, she did her best to convince him that he was a good man. Should she have been angrier with him? She closed the book and stood up, knowing that she should probably get an outside opinion.

That's how she found herself standing in front of Archie's office five minutes later. She tentatively knocked on the door and waited. The door opened and Archie smiled when he saw her. Pongo ran to the door to greet Belle as well. Belle pet Pongo and turned to Archie, "Can we talk?"

Archie nodded and let her inside. Belle sat on the comfortable couch in the office and Archie sat across from her in his usual chair. A few moments passed as Belle tried to figure out what to say. Finally, the words came to her. "I'm in a relationship, you know, with Rumple." Archie nodded and Belle continued, "I was told today that my relationship with him is considered Stockholm Syndrome. I did some reading and it does sound like our relationship, but I know he is capable of being good. He's my true love, after all."

"Have you ever seen this world's version of your story?" Archie asked. Belle nodded, Ruby had shown it to her on one of their girl's nights. She had been really tired that night and she had fallen asleep on Ruby's shoulder as soon as the movie ended. She remembered the movie being good, but not a very accurate portrayal of her life. Archie continued his explanation, "A lot of people identify their relationship as Stockholm Syndrome as well. In a textbook definition it is, but it works as a relationship because the Beast becomes a better person for Belle and saves her as much as she saves him." Belle thought hard about the explanation. Archie did have a point.

"What I'm trying to say is," Archie broke the silence, "Your relationship with Rumplestiltskin can work if he makes an effort to change and treats you with the respect that you deserve." Belle nodded as she thought about her time with Rumplestiltskin. She tried to think of a time when Rumplestiltskin had made an effort to be a better person. He had saved her from falling off the ladder in his castle. Of course, anyone would have done that in that situation.

She tried to think of another moment. Besides disobeying her wishes of not getting revenge on Regina, he had also forced her to choose between him and her father. She had walked away from both of them, but eventually reconciled with him when he had given her the library. She remembered all of the bad things he had done to impress her during her "Lacey" phase. She was angry about that, but she didn't have a lot of time to call him out on it after getting her memories back and him leaving to rescue Henry. She sat there for a few moments thinking, and came up with nothing.

Archie was looking at her with concern. "Something wrong?"

Belle shook her head, "No. Thank you, this was very illuminating for me." She stood up, "I'm sure you have other clients I'm keeping you from."

"I don't have any other clients today," Archie replied, "Just know that I'm here if you want to talk about it some more."

"Thank you," Belle said as she left the office. She arrived back at the library and attempted to read a book. She soon found that her thoughts and worries about Ruby and Rumplestiltskin distracted her and she shut the book. She wished more than ever that she could talk to either of them about how she was feeling, but they were both gone. For how long, nobody knew. Giving up on reading for the night, Belle got ready for bed. After hours of tossing and turning, Belle fell into an uneasy sleep.

 

Ruby put on the change of clothes that she found in her bag. Whoever packed her bag seemed to have an affinity for the color red. She looked into the mirror of the hotel room bathroom and took in her appearance. "Who am I?" She wondered aloud to nobody.

She made her way over to the café where Claire greeted her. "Morning!" Claire smiled. Ruby could only nod; clearly she was not a morning person. Claire showed her the ropes of the café. Ruby was surprised at how quickly she picked up on everything.

By noon, she was handling the lunch rush with ease. She was surprised at how well she was doing. "Maybe you were a waitress in your former life?" Claire exclaimed to her as they stood at the pass, waiting for their next orders.

"That's possible," Ruby said, wondering if it was the truth. She felt at ease working at the café, but that was all she knew. No memories had come back to her in her short time here and she was getting kind of frustrated. She wondered if she had a family somewhere that missed her? Maybe some friends? Maybe a significant other? Were they looking for her, or did they even care that she was missing? She hoped that someone out there missed her and was looking for her. All Ruby wanted was answers. The bell chimed and Ruby snapped out of her thoughts. She picked up the food and continued her work, hoping that the answers would come soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is AU after the Season 2 finale, the Neverland arc is a little different here. Henry is Henry in this story, not Peter Pan and there is no second curse.

Belle awoke to the sound of shouts outside her bedroom. She sat up as she thought about the dream that she just had. She and Ruby were having another girl's night, when Ruby leaned in and kissed her. She had eagerly kissed back and Ruby picked her up and took her into her bedroom. That was as far as the dream had progressed before she woke up, but Belle was disturbed. She had dreams like that in the past, some far more explicit, but they were usually about Rumple. She was supposed to love him and only him. Why was she having sex dreams about her best friend? Was it her guilt about Ruby leaving? That must be it.

She heard more shouts and looked outside her window to see a group of Storybrooke's citizens running toward the dock. Belle saw a pirate ship flying into the harbor of Storybrooke and knew that the group had returned from Neverland. She threw on some clothes and ran to the docks. Henry was the first one to get off the ship, he looked unscathed and Belle was glad that the boy was unharmed. He was followed by Regina, Emma, the Charmings, Hook, Baelfire, and finally Rumplestiltskin. She ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her, and Belle kissed back. It had happened like this several times before, but something didn't feel right this time. She pushed her doubt away and followed the group to Granny's.

Granny smiled when the group entered the diner, but Belle could still see the hurt in her eyes. Snow embraced Granny and asked for Ruby. Granny snapped at her, "She's gone."

The group gasped. "Gone?" Snow asked.

Nodding sadly, Granny explained, "She wasn't happy here. She felt ignored and unloved. It's my fault, I should've noticed how miserable she was and done something about it."

Snow looked at her feet, "I've been so selfish. I should've been there for her." Charming wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to comfort her. The group sat down in the diner and Granny served them all their favorite dishes. The woman had an impressive memory.

When she got to Belle, she placed a hamburger and a glass of iced tea in front of her and said, "I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's not your fault that she left."

Belle took a bite of her hamburger. It was delicious as usual. "It's okay Granny, I wish she was back as well." As Granny walked away, Belle turned to Rumplestiltskin, "What happened in Neverland?"

Rumplestiltskin told her the story of their daring rescue of Henry. In the middle of his story, Granny came over to refill her iced tea. He explained how the group was at odds with each other until Emma and Regina brought them together and destroyed Peter Pan. Belle was proud of the group for rescuing Henry, though she was still curious as to how Rumplestiltskin's "dead" son was alive and sitting with Hook at the bar.

"What happened to Greg and Tamara?" Belle noticed that he had left that detail out of the story. Rumplestiltskin shifted uncomfortably and Belle knew instantly what he had done.

Belle went to drink her iced tea and once again found it empty. Granny came over with the pitcher and said jokingly, "You might want to slow down on those iced teas. That's your third one."

At those words, Belle was transported back to her first meeting with Ruby. After her third iced tea, Ruby had made a similar joke. They had talked for a few moments and Ruby had sent her in the direction of the library. Belle had found Ruby to be very kind and approachable and they had become fast friends. All of a sudden, the diner felt too warm and Belle stood up. She said something about needing fresh air before running out the door. She sat down on the steps, pulling her knees to her chest.

The door opened behind her and for once, Belle hoped that it wasn't Rumple. "Hey, are you okay?" Belle turned to see Emma looking at her.

"I'm fine," Belle lied.

"Sure you are," Emma said, sitting down next to her, "I'm pretty good at spotting when people are lying…well usually."

Belle knew that there was no point in covering up her feelings at that point. "I miss Ruby," she said.

Emma nodded knowingly. "No judgment here. I dated a few girls in the past." Belle looked at her surprised, how could she know what she was thinking. "Somebody once told me: There are people who are right for you, there are people who are wrong for you, and then there are people you just choose. People don't seem that into choice here, though. Both Neal and Hook expect me to be with them, but I'm not sure that I want to be with either one of them. What if I want to be with Regina or Jefferson or someone outside of this crazy town instead?" Emma shook her head, "Anyway, I know true love magic is pretty binding in your world, but I still think that you should be with whomever you choose to be with."

Belle listened to Emma's speech with interest. She had grown up knowing the rules of her world through what she read in books. She figured that she probably should try looking at her issues with this new perspective. "Thank you," Belle said to Emma, "I'll be back in a few minutes." Emma nodded and went back inside, leaving Belle to her thoughts.

True to her words, Belle went back inside soon after. She was just in time for a slice of cake that Granny had made to celebrate Henry's rescue. She sat with Rumplestiltskin and responded to his questions, but she felt withdrawn from him. They went home for the evening and spent the evening talking. The hours passed and Belle went upstairs to go to bed. After finishing her nightly routine, Belle pulled the covers over her body and rolled over, losing herself to sleep.

She found herself wandering through the woods, the sky completely black except for the full moon shining down. Belle lifted up her lantern and called out for Ruby. She barely heard a whimper from an area to the left of her. She ran towards the noise and found Ruby in her wolf form lying on the ground. On closer inspection she discovered that Ruby was bleeding onto the forest floor. Belle ran to her side, pulling Ruby's red cloak out of her pocket. Throwing it over the wolf, Belle asked, "What happened?"

Ruby sat up, the cloak covering her human form. She grimaced at the pain of her still bleeding side, "It doesn't matter. You're here now."

Belle cupped Ruby's cheek with her hand, "I'll always be here. I love you." Ruby smiled as she leaned it to kiss Belle. Kissing her, Belle helped her up and Ruby used her shoulders to support herself. "Let's get you home," Belle said, leading them through the forest back into town.

Opening her eyes, Belle rolled over and looked at the clock. It was four in the morning, but Belle didn't feel like going to back to sleep. Sitting up, she glanced over at the other side of the bed and found that Rumplestiltskin was fast asleep. Quietly, she slid out of bed and pulled on some clothes. She tiptoed out of the house and went over to the library. Unlocking the door, Belle went straight to her favorite chair and sank into the cushion.

She thought about the dream that she just had. Even though she had known that it was a dream, Belle felt the fear of losing Ruby and the elation of finding her as though it had been real. Belle wanted to wrap her arms around Ruby again and she really wanted to kiss her. Still, she felt really guilty about Rumplestiltskin. She knew that they were meant to be, but how could she be so sure when she was dreaming of someone else.

Her mind went back to what Emma had told her last night and she tried to apply it to her situation. Rumplestiltskin was right for her, as he was her true love. But he was also wrong for her as well. Despite her best efforts, he was still giving in to his evil side when she was not around. Belle loved him and wanted the best for him, but she didn't want to be with a man who wouldn't make an effort to change without her forcing him. Ruby, on the other hand, was a good person. She made mistakes, but she tried to make amends for them. Ruby hadn't been gone for long, but her heart ached for her.

Belle sat up as the realization hit her. She was in love with Ruby. It had taken her a while, but she knew that it was true. It wouldn't be true love, but she and Ruby could be happy together. Pulling her phone out, she fumbled with it, trying to remember how to send a text message. It took a few tries, but she managed to text Rumplestiltskin to meet her at Granny's for breakfast. Her decision made, Belle started to brainstorm her approach to the conversation that she knew needed to occur.


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as she was done washing the dishes, Ruby took off her gloves and went to the left dining room of the café. Claire was waiting for her, the table was set for the two of them. Ruby sat in the seat across from her and she looked at the food set out in front of her. It was a burger topped with lobster meat, one of the café's specialties. Ruby eagerly picked it up and took a bite, the long day making her very hungry.

"How was your second day?" Claire asked, watching her.

Ruby swallowed, "It was busy, but nice." The café was one of the busiest restaurants at the beach, but Ruby didn't mind the rush. It took her mind off of her troubles for a while.

As though she had read her mind, Claire asked, "Any luck?" Ruby shook her head. Throughout the day, nothing was able to bring back any of her memories of her previous life. The only clue she had was that she had handled the lunch rush with ease, better than most new employees had done according to Claire.

On her break, Ruby had taken the time to walk around the town. It was a beautiful town and the townspeople were extremely friendly. She had enjoyed running on the beach as well, stopping to play with a few kids on their vacation. It was a great place to live, but Ruby felt that she didn't belong there. Where she belonged, she had no idea.

"It'll come back to you," Claire said before steering the conversation towards safer territory. She told Ruby about how she had grown up here and built her entire life around the beach town. Ruby listened with interest as she ate her burger. Claire didn't ask her many questions, as she knew that Ruby didn't know much about her life and Ruby was grateful.

They finished their meals and Claire pulled out a sheet of paper. "I need you to sign this for me. All employees are required to." Ruby took the contract from her and signed her name.

She was about to hand the contract back when she brought it back to her. Studying the signature, she pulled out the note she had found in her pocket at the edge of Storybrooke. She looked from the note to the signature and the realization hit her. "I wrote the note," Ruby said, holding it up for Claire to see.

"Why would you be happier outside of that town?" Claire asked, reading the note. Ruby shook her head. She had no idea, but she had to find out. It was the first clue to figuring out who she was.

 

Belle sat at her usual booth in the diner, a plate filled with bacon, eggs, and pancakes in front of her. The diner was mostly empty, other than Regina and Henry, who were sitting a few tables away. The door to the diner opened and Rumplestiltskin walked in, nodding towards the mayor before joining Belle in the booth. He gave her a neutral expression, but Belle could see the hurt in his eyes.

"Good morning," Belle sweetly told him.

Cutting right to the chase, Rumplestiltskin asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

Belle was nervous, but she did her best to hide it. "I've been doing some thinking…you know I love you, Rumple…it's just that I think that it's best that we take a break."

Rumplestiltskin did not seem surprised, but he looked pissed, "Is this because of the wolf?" Belle stared at him, wondering how he could possibly guess that. "Has anyone ever told you that you talk in your sleep?"

Taking a deep breath, Belle looked him in the eye, "She isn't the only reason. I think it's best for both of us if we stop seeing each other."

"But I'm your true love," Rumplestiltskin pleaded. Belle felt terrible, but she knew that she had to do this.

Out of the corner of her eye, Belle saw Henry get up and leave the diner and Granny pretending to scrub the counter while listening intently. Turning back to Rumplestiltskin, she tried to reason with him, "I know that. I've stood by you, trying to get you to become the good man I know you are. It's becoming clearer that you don't really want to change. I can't stick around waiting for you. It's not healthy for either of us."

"I can change Belle. We can make this work. I love you and you love me and that's all that matters."

Belle shook her head, "It takes more than just love to make a relationship work. Trust and respect are also necessary, and I don't trust you when you tell me that you're going to change."

"What if the wolf doesn't want you?" Rumplestiltskin barked at her.

"Even if she doesn't," Belle replied, "I know this is the right decision. I love you and that's never going to change, but I think we'll work better as friends. I'm sorry Rumple. I wish you every bit of happiness."

Belle moved to stand up and Rumplestiltskin grabbed her wrist. Belle struggled to free herself from his strong grip. Pulling herself free, she moved out of the booth and walked towards the door. She was startled by a loud banging noise. She turned around to see that Rumplestiltskin had been thrown against the wall of the diner. She turned to see Regina standing up and holding her hands out as her magic worked. Granny walked up to Rumplestiltskin pointing her crossbow at him. "Get out of my diner," she hissed at him.

Even though he could easily kill the elderly woman, Rumplestiltskin stood up and brushed himself off as he walked out of the diner. Turning back to Belle, he sneered, "I hope you're happy," before slamming the door behind him.

As she sat in a nearby chair in shock over what had happened, Regina came up to her, "Are you alright?" Belle nodded. The door opened and Henry ran in carrying Baelfire's shawl. Regina took it from him and hugged him.

"What do you need that for?" Belle realized that Henry must have stolen it from Rumple's shop.

"To find your wolf," Regina told her, "If I recall, the Dark One put a serum on this so that he could cross the town line to find his son." Belle remembered that night when he had shown her that the shawl had worked. They were celebrating when Hook had shot her, causing her to lose her memories. So much had happened since then that she had forgotten about the shawl.

Belle looked suspiciously at Regina, "Why are you helping me? You locked me up for 28 years."

Regina nodded sadly, "I know. I'm sorry Belle. The old me was so blinded by revenge that I didn't care who I hurt. I'm trying to be a better person now and I am truly sorry for the way I treated you."

Looking into her eyes, Belle saw the sincerity behind her words. "I believe you," she said, "but I can't just walk around carrying a piece of cloth."

"Give me your necklace," Regina held out her hand. Belle slowly undid the clasp of her necklace. Regina laid the shawl and necklace on the table. After she waved her hand, a sparkly fluid lifted from the shawl and embedded itself into the necklace. Regina picked up the necklace and handed it to her, "Now you can leave town."

Belle took the necklace and fastened it around her neck, "Thank you."

Regina smiled, "You're welcome." With a wave of her hand she produced a dog collar and leash, "Don't forget to take your wolf for a walk when you find her." Regina and Henry stepped out of the diner as Belle rolled her eyes at Regina.

"Thank you," Granny said behind her, "Good luck finding her."

Belle nodded, "Thank you." Granny handed her a small dagger and a metal instrument that Belle had never seen before. "What's this?"

"That's a dagger," Granny told her, "To protect yourself out in the world."

"I know that," Belle said, appreciative of the gesture, "What's the other thing?"

Granny smiled, "Nail clippers." At the sight of Belle's confusion, she said, "You'll thank me later."

Belle didn't know what Granny meant, but she was overwhelmed by the woman's kindness. She launched herself at Granny and pulled her into a hug, "I'm going to find her."

"I know you will," Granny pulled away and walked back to the kitchen, "Let me pack you some food for the road." Belle pocketed the dagger and the "nail clippers," as she sat down. Soon, Granny handed her a bag and Belle went to her room to pack for the journey ahead. Determined to find Ruby, all she could think about was being successful at finding her and bringing her home.


	6. Chapter 6

Armed with a small suitcase, Belle stood on the edge of the town line. She took a deep breath as the memories of her last visit flooded her mind. She was terrified to go near the line, but she knew that she had to overcome it. She was doing this for Ruby and she had to be brave for her. Closing her eyes and grabbing the necklace around her neck, she stepped over the line. She felt a cool sensation take over her body, but nothing else happened. She opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. She had made it across the line with her memories intact. Avoiding the celebration, she made several determined steps away from the comfort of Storybrooke into the terrifying unknown.

For a few miles, all she saw were trees. Belle took a sip of water and leaned against a tree. She had underestimated the size of the outside world. A car drove past and Belle seriously considered waving it down and asking for a ride. Her memories of the time in the Enchanted Forest when she accepted a ride with those men outside the dwarf tavern came back to her. She didn't want to repeat that experience, even if it had lead to a great adventure.

Instead, she stood up and continued her journey. Soon enough, she saw a town in the distance. Using her remaining strength, she ran towards the town. She found a bench near the entrance of the town and sat down. After a quick meal from her bag, Belle made her way to the sheriff's station. The sheriff was absolutely no help and essentially told her to fuck off when she had shown him Ruby's picture. She walked out of the station dejected and went to the local inn to get a room for the night.

The next morning, she packed up and left the town. She set out to walk up the Maine coast, hoping her luck would change. She reached the next town. No luck there either. By the fifth town it was starting to seem hopeless, but Belle wasn't going to give up.

As Belle wandered into the next town, her stomach growled. She had run out of Granny's food last night and she looked around for a restaurant. She spotted a promising place called "The Cottage Café," and went inside.

"How many?" The blonde hostess with an accent similar to her asked.

Belle smiled at the blonde woman, "One." The hostess grabbed a menu and brought her over to a table. Belle sat down and eagerly scanned the menu, thinking that everything sounded good.

"Good morning," said a familiar voice above her and Belle's heart pounded in her chest. She looked into the eyes of the waitress and saw that Ruby was in fact standing in front of her. She looked every bit as gorgeous as she had when Belle had last seen her. She looked happy and healthy, no harm had come to her in her time away.

"Ruby," Belle said softly, her eyes never leaving the other girl's.

Ruby's brow furrowed in confusion, "Do I know you?"

Belle's face fell and her heart broke slightly. She had been too optimistic to believe that Ruby would have gotten her memories back so easily. After her experience, she should've realized that it wouldn't be that simple. "You did once," she said to the girl, knowing that she had her work cut out for her.

 

It had been a normal day, or at least normal as far as Ruby's memories were concerned. Then she saw Claire lead a very beautiful girl to a table. She didn't bring back any of her memories, but Ruby was drawn to her. She asked Claire to switch sections with her and she made her way over to the brunette.

She had been taken aback as the woman seemed to know who she was. Not only that, but the woman had recognized her immediately as though she had been searching for her. Quickly, she asked the woman to follow her outside. Bringing her over to one of the outside benches, Ruby sat down and the woman did the same. Not waiting for the woman to speak, Ruby immediately asked, "Who are you and how do you know me?"

The woman seemed to contemplate her words before saying, "I'm Belle." Belle. That was a very pretty name, fitting for the girl in front of her. "I used to visit your Granny's diner a lot." She had a grandmother and she had a diner if Belle was telling the truth. Ruby's assumption that she had been a waitress seemed to be correct.

It seemed like she and Belle were friends, though Ruby wondered if they were anything more. Just to be sure, Ruby asked, "Were we really friends?"

Belle looked at her as though those words brought memories to her. She nodded and confirmed, "Yeah we were."

"Then tell me the truth," Ruby said. She pulled the mysterious note out of her pocket and handed it to her. Belle took it from her and read it, her face falling. "What's so bad about Storybrooke that I had to tell myself to leave?"

Belle looked up at her sadly, "It's my fault actually. When Rumplestiltskin left for Neverland, I was selfish and ignored you, even though you were trying to help me. You felt ignored, and I should have been there for you. I came to find you to make things right."

While Belle's words were meant to reassure her, Ruby looked at her as though she had grown three heads. Rumplestiltskin? Neverland? Was Belle intentionally fucking with her? "Do you think this is some kind of joke?" Ruby asked defensively. "I may have lost my memory, but I know that Rumplestiltskin is a fictional character and Neverland isn't real. Do you expect me to believe that you're Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Snow White is my mother or something?"

"Snow White is Emma's mother," Belle said quickly, looking a little surprised at Ruby's outburst. "And your friend."

Ruby stared at Belle. She couldn't possibly be serious. "And who am I supposed to be? A fairy?"

"Red Riding Hood," Belle said quietly, "And the wolf." Bursting into laughter, Ruby wondered if the girl had lost her mind. Fighting back tears, Belle pleaded, "Please Ruby, you need to believe me. You need to remember who you are. Your Granny misses you. Your friends miss you. I miss you."

"I don't think you know who I am," Ruby snapped, "I think you're just a girl who heard about my memory loss and decided to play a joke on me. Well guess what? It's not funny." Belle looked like she was on the verge of tears and Ruby almost felt sorry for her. Her anger got the best of her, "Your story may work on some people but it won't work on me. Now if you excuse me, I have a job to get back to."

With that, Ruby stood up and walked back into the café leaving a sobbing Belle on the bench.


	7. Chapter 7

It took Belle a few moments to compose herself. She had been so caught up in the joy of seeing Ruby again and Ruby's plea for her to be honest that she hadn't thought about what she was saying. No matter how true her words were, Ruby had no memory and would refuse to believe such a fantastical story. She had been upset with Ruby for lying to her in the hospital when she had asked for the truth. She realized now that she probably wouldn't believe Ruby if she had told her the truth, even despite the magic she had seen as Rumplestiltskin had healed her from Hook's bullet. Being a fairytale character in a land of fairytale characters was a hard thing to believe, and Belle did not fault Ruby for her reaction.

Despite the setback, Belle refused to give up. It had taken her a while, but she knew that she loved Ruby with all of her heart. She knew that Ruby's memories were locked somewhere out of reach and that she needed to find the key to unlock them. Belle had complete faith that Ruby would come back to her and that they could find their happy ending together. Besides, she had come all of this way and it would be stupid to turn back now.

Belle stood up and walked away from the restaurant. She decided to explore the town a bit, especially since she might be here for a while. It was a lovely town filled with kind shopkeepers and friendly tourists enjoying their vacations. Upon asking a gift shop owner directions to the nearest inn, he pointed her in the direction of the town's best hotel. With a few instructions, she found her way to the small, comfortable inn.

"You're still here," A voice behind her stated simply. Belle turned around and found the blonde hostess from the café sitting on a bench outside the inn. She was looking at her suspiciously, "You upset Ruby today."

Belle stared at her sizing her up, "I know. I need to make it right." A thought crossed her mind, "Are you two…"

The girl laughed, "No, we're just friends. I don't play for that team." Belle was relieved. The girl's expression turned serious, "Anyway, don't change the subject. What do you think you're doing? Creating stories about fairytale characters?"

Belle wanted to correct her, but she knew that the girl wouldn't believe her. She knew that she had to come up with a different tactic and a light bulb went off in her head. "I'm sorry. It was an inside joke that I hoped would help her remember. I should have known better."

The girl didn't look entirely convinced, "You should have." For a moment she seemed to consider her words before saying, "I believe that you actually do know Ruby. I saw that look of recognition on your face. That can't be easily faked. I believe that if anyone can help her get her memories back, it would be you. But you can't just tell her wild stories, even if they're inside jokes, and expect her to remember. You need to tell her the truth."

Belle almost laughed at the irony of the girl's advice. She had told the truth, but that had caused the problem in the first place. Belle believed in the importance of honesty, but it wouldn't help her here. Forming a plan, she said, "I will from now on. Thanks…um…."

"Claire," said Claire, "I have faith in you Belle. I'm sure you can find Ruby at…"

"I think I know where to find her," Belle interrupted her, "Thanks for helping." Standing up, she walked away, determined to find Ruby.

 

Ruby sat down on a log in the forest. She couldn't explain it, but she enjoyed walking in the forest. Being around nature seemed to clear her head. She listened to the relaxing sound of the nearby stream and willed herself to try to remember something about her past.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a twig branch snapping. Turning around she saw the girl from earlier, Belle, come into the clearing. Their eyes locked and her fists clenched. "I knew I would find you here," Belle said, "You used to go into the forest when you were stressed."

"What are you doing here?" Ruby was still suspicious of the girl in front of her and their argument earlier still made her angry.

If Belle was upset, she didn't show it, "To apologize. I thought that telling you about one of our inside jokes would help you remember. I was wrong. I'm going to tell you the truth now."

Ruby glared at her, "Why should I believe you?"

Belle reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. She fumbled around with it, seeming to struggle with using it. Curiosity getting the best of her, Ruby walked over and looked down at the phone screen. Belle managed to pull up a picture of the two of them. Belle was dressed like the Disney Belle and Ruby was wearing a red hood, looking like Red Riding Hood. The two girls were smiling at the camera. "This was taken at your Granny's Halloween party last year," Belle told her, "Everyone thought it was a good idea for us to dress up as fairytale characters."

She swiped her thumb over the picture and a picture of an elderly woman came up. "This is your grandmother, she owns the town diner." She swiped her thumb again and a picture of two women, one man, and a little boy came up. "That couple right there is David and Mary Margaret, we call them Snow White and Prince Charming because they're pretty much the perfect couple. That blonde woman is Mary Margaret's sister, Emma. We call Mary Margaret her mom because she tends to act like a mother rather than a sister. She isn't really into the dressing up thing and neither is her son Henry."

Ruby stared at the photos trying to make sense of what Belle was saying. "If this was just for Halloween, why would you tell me that it's real?"

"You've always had a thing for fairy tales. We used to joke that everyone in town was a secret fairytale character. You've always liked Red Riding Hood because of your love of the color red and wolves. I was hoping that maybe that would jog your memory. I shouldn't have been so forceful about it and I'm sorry." Belle looked at her hopefully.

Ruby studied the girl. Despite her crazy story and their argument, the girl seemed to have good intentions. "What about Neverland?"

"Well, uh, that's what we call the bar in town," Belle said quickly, "My ex, Robert, and I had a fight and he left for several days. I found out he was out gambling there and I was so distraught that I pushed you away, even though you were only trying to make me feel better." Ruby nodded, believing the story.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you," Ruby said, "I should have known that you were just trying to help me remember." Belle smiled, she seemed to be glad to have Ruby's trust back. "Will you be staying in town?"

Belle nodded, "Of course. I'm not going home without you."

Ruby was touched by Belle's determination to help her. She wished that she could remember something from her life, but nothing surfaced. "Tell me more about my life," Ruby said leading Belle back over to the log.


	8. Chapter 8

Belle awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. Rolling over, she saw that it was Granny. She had gotten used to hearing from her every day since she found Ruby. Yawning as she sat up, she picked the phone off of the nightstand and answered the call. "Good morning," Belle said sleepily.

"Any progress?" Granny's voice sounded eager, yet impatient through the phone.

Belle shook her head, but then remembered that Granny couldn't see her, "Not yet." The last few days had gone well. After Ruby was done with her shift at the diner, they would go for a long walk on the beach. Ruby would ask her questions and Belle would try to answer them to the best of her ability. As grateful as Ruby was for her answers, her memory had not returned. She wished that she could have brought a sample of the potion that had brought back her own memory, but the last of it had been used on her. All she could do was be patient with Ruby and hope that one day she would remember again.

"Keep trying," Granny said. Granny sounded a bit defeated, but Belle knew that she was nowhere close to giving up.

"I will," Belle replied as she stood up, "We'll be back soon enough." As she hung up, she wondered who she was reassuring, Granny or herself? Tossing the phone on the bed, she got dressed and ready to meet Ruby. Today was supposed to be Ruby's day off, but the Café was hosting a party that evening and Ruby would be working most of the evening. Thankfully, she got the morning off and Belle would see her at the party as well because Claire had invited her.

As she exited the hotel, she found Ruby sitting on the outside bench, two coffee cups in her hand. As they looked at each other, they couldn't help but smile. Belle knew how she felt about Ruby, and was wondering if Ruby felt the same about her.

"Morning," Ruby yawned, handing the second cup to her, "It's tea. If I recall, you told me it was your favorite, even when it's iced."

Belle took the cup from Ruby, her fingers brushing hers as she gripped the cup. "Thank you," Belle's heart pounded in her chest and she took a sip of the tea to calm herself. The comforting taste reminded her of home and Belle wished that Ruby would get her memories back soon.

"Can I ask you a question?" Ruby had asked her that so many times over the past week, that Belle instinctively nodded instead of answering. Ruby looked hesitant, but asked, "You've told me so much about my life over the week, but you haven't told me how I lost my memory."

Out of all the questions she knew that Ruby would probably ask, she was dreading that one the most. Since their first discussion, Belle had done her best to remove any mention of magic and fairytales from her answers, but she still hadn't figured out how to answer that question. Moved to answering by Ruby's curious expression, she said, "Uh, we don't know. One day you remembered everything, the next day you were gone. You left two notes, so maybe you knew what was happening." Belle tried to convey genuine confusion in her answer, but she could tell that Ruby was looking at her suspiciously. Belle drank the last of her tea, "Shall we walk?"

Ruby nodded, "Let's walk through town. I want to show you something." Belle followed Ruby, wondering what new thing she could possibly show her. They walked through the streets, Belle and Ruby waved at the familiar faces they saw. After walking a few blocks, Ruby stopped in front of a small cottage that had a "For Rent" sign on it.

Belle stared at the house, then back to Ruby. It was a beautiful house, but why were they stopping here? "Have you taken up an interest in real estate?"

Shaking her head, Ruby laughed, "No. I was thinking of renting it. If I'm going to stay here, I should get something more permanent than the hotel room."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Once they did, Belle looked at Ruby in disbelief. "You want to stay here?"

"Of course," Ruby said, "I have a good life here."

"What about your home? In Storybrooke?" Belle pleaded.

"Belle," Ruby explained, "You said so yourself, I was miserable there. I'm happy here, I should stay here." Ruby saw that Belle was on the verge of tears and went on, "Look, there's a chance that my memory will never come back, and frankly maybe I don't want it to."

Belle wiped the tears from her eyes, and snapped, "What am I going to tell your family and friends. That you just gave up on them?"

Ruby's eyes narrowed, "You tell me that I was obsessed with fairy tales, but I'm starting to think you were the one who was. You can tell me how good my life was, but it doesn't change the fact that I was clearly miserable if I wanted to leave it all behind."

"I'm not leaving without you," Belle declared, staring down Ruby, "I love you too much to give up on you." It was the first time Belle had said that to her in all of her time here.

If Ruby was impacted by those words, then she didn't show it, "Then you'll be here a long time." Belle felt a mixture of anger and hurt as she watched Ruby walk away again. She wondered if perhaps Ruby was right. Back in their world, problems were solved by magic and love. This world had its own rules, and there was no guarantee that things would work out here. She meant it when she said that she wouldn't go home without Ruby, and she wasn't going to turn back now.

 

The crescent moon shone in the sky as Ruby greeted the first of the guests. After her argument with Belle, she had come back to the Café. Claire had given her a sympathetic smile, and then put her to work. She didn't complain though, the work distracted her for a bit.

She liked Belle's optimism and she genuinely seemed to care for her, but she didn't know if she wanted to go back to Storybrooke. She was happy here. She had a nice job, a supportive friend, and a chance for a new life. On the other hand, Belle was persistent and had just declared her love for her. She had been so firm in her beliefs, but Belle had thrown her for a loop. Belle had thrown her for a loop since the day she walked into the café and recognized her.

Speaking of Belle, the girl walked up to the café and Ruby remembered that Claire had invited her to the party earlier that week. Perhaps things would be fine if she avoided her. "Hey," said Belle tentatively.

"Enjoy yourself," replied Ruby, managing to give her a smile. Belle decided it was best to not say anything and walked into the party. Ruby wanted to follow her, but she knew that she shouldn't.

An hour or so passed and Claire came to the front to switch with Ruby. Walking back to the party room, she assumed her position in the back. She couldn't help herself as she scanned the crowd for Belle. She found her in the corner, drinking a glass of punch. She looked miserable and Ruby felt terrible about the way that she had snapped at her earlier.

Another guest pulled her attention away, but Ruby kept an eye, and an extremely good ear out for Belle. She saw out of the corner of her eye a clearly intoxicated guy walk up to Belle. She heard him ask her to dance. Ruby felt a pang of jealousy towards the guy, and she felt relieved when Belle politely declined. When she heard the guy continue to bother her, she turned away from what she was doing and marched over there. Belle looked stunned as she pushed the guy away and told him to leave her alone.

It was just the two of them looking at each other. Belle looked at her in admiration and Ruby wanted to pull her forward and kiss her. Instead, she panicked and ran out of the restaurant. She didn't stop until she reached the comfort of the forest. She paced through the woods as everything weighed her down.

She had felt a pull towards the girl from the moment she had stepped foot into the café. Over the week, Ruby had noticed the little things. The way Belle bit her lip when she was pondering something. The way that Belle's eyes sparkled whenever she talked about her favorite books. She had thought that she simply wanted to be friends with the girl, but tonight had changed everything. As she thought about Belle's confession and how much she had wanted to kiss her, everything clicked. She knew that there was no denying it anymore and she was in love with Belle. She didn't remember anything before two weeks ago, but she knew that fact was certain.

She had been willing to push her out of her life this morning, but she knew that would never work. She knew that she had to tell her how she felt. As she ran back to the café, she saw that it was past midnight. Belle had probably gone to bed by now. Refusing to wake her, Ruby went to her hotel room, falling asleep as she prepared to talk to her tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 9

Ruby woke up uncharacteristically early that morning. The sun barely appeared in the early morning sky, but she was too excited to go back to sleep. Unable to sit still and knowing that Belle was probably not awake yet, Ruby went for a run along the beach. As she arrived back in town, she found Belle walking out of the hotel room, a book under her arm and looking like a runway model in her blue dress. Ruby called out her name as she ran to her.

Belle looked up at the sound of Ruby's voice. She bit her lip in confusion at seeing Ruby so excited to see her after the events of the previous day. "Good morning?" She wondered what was going on in Ruby's head after she barely talked to her the previous evening.

"Can we talk?" Ruby's heart was beating rapidly in her chest, a combination of nerves and her morning run. Belle nodded and they walked over to the sidewalk to move out of the way of the passing cars. As Belle looked expectantly over at her, Ruby froze. Regaining her courage, she began, "Listen, I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday. You've been trying to help me over the last week, and I haven't been treating you well."

To Ruby's surprise, Belle didn't get angry. "I forgive you," Belle said, "I want you to remember who you were, and I've been wrong to try to force you to remember. I just want you to be happy." Ruby smiled at Belle's admission, but Belle didn't notice. "I promised you I wouldn't leave town without you though, and I'm not going home until you remember. You're not going to get rid of me that easily."

"I don't plan to." Belle looked up in surprise, finally seeing the way that Ruby was looking at her. "I did some thinking last night and I realized that I don't want you to go. I think I'm in love with you." Belle smiled as she pulled Ruby into a hug. Ruby wrapped her arms around Belle, losing herself in the embrace. Pulling away from the smell of Belle's shampoo, Ruby continued, "I wish that I had my memories back, if only so I could remember every memory of you."

Not wanting to wait any longer, Ruby leaned in to kiss Belle. The kiss was electric, almost magical. As though the universe heard Ruby's wish, a flood of memories flashed through her mind. Her entire life flashed before her eyes, her childhood, her time spent in the Enchanted Forest, the curse, Belle. Every memory was crystal clear in her mind.

Pulling away, Ruby looked into Belle's eyes, seeing her own love reflected in them. "Belle. I remember. Everything." Belle's big blue eyes sparkled with tears of happiness as they resumed their kiss. Ruby ran her fingers through her hair as Belle deepened the kiss, both of them overjoyed by the moment.

"Get a room," yelled a voice a few feet behind Belle. Ruby looked over Belle's shoulder to see Claire laughing. When she saw Ruby looking at her, Claire flashed her a smile and a thumbs up. Ruby couldn't help but smile back at her friend.

"Perhaps we should take her advice," Ruby looked back at Belle and saw that she was smirking. Ruby grinned and took her hand in hers.

 

As they finally reached the privacy of Belle's hotel room, Belle pushed Ruby against the door, using her free hand to lock the door behind them. Belle reunited her lips with Ruby's, both girls feeling the effects of the kiss all over their bodies. Ruby swiped Belle's lip with her tongue and Belle granted her entrance. Their tongues danced around each other as Ruby reached her hands behind Belle's back to unzip the back of her dress. Belle helped Ruby pull the straps down and the dress slipped down her body and around her ankles.

Ruby took in the beautiful sight of Belle in nothing but her bra and panties and the necklace dangling around her neck, panting as she moved her lips to Belle's neck, running her hands over the newly exposed skin. Belle moaned as she started to unbutton, Ruby's flannel shirt. After the first few buttons, Belle became impatient and ripped the shirt open, the remaining buttons flying around the room. Ruby stopped her exploration as she helped Belle with her tight red pants. Kicking off their shoes, they were soon both in nothing but their undergarments. They looked each other up and down in anticipation for what was to come.

Using her wolf strength, Ruby easily lifted Belle up, allowing her to wrap her legs around her waist. She carried her over to the small, yet comfortable hotel bed and laid her down on it, unhooking her bra and throwing it to the side of the room. Ruby immediately lowered her mouth to her left breast, taking the hardened nipple into her mouth. Belle's moans encouraged Ruby as she moved over to the right breast, giving it the same amount of attention. Belle loved every minute of it, but the throbbing need in her panties caused her to beg for Ruby to move lower. "Please," she moaned out.

Ruby lifted her head to look at Belle's eyes. A wolfish grin crept onto her face, "What do you need?"

"You know what." Belle replied.

"I need you to say it," Ruby smirked, loving every minute of this.

"Fuck me," Belle said, surprising Ruby with her language.

Not wanting to deny her lover any longer, Ruby reached down and slid Belle's panties off of her legs, tossing them next to her bra. Ruby kissed her way down to her destination and looked up at Belle. "You're beautiful," she told her. Unable to wait any longer, she dove in eagerly. She lapped up the abundant wetness she found there, deciding right there that Belle was her favorite flavor. She took Belle's clit into her mouth and Belle's moans turned into screams of ecstasy. She went to work, flicking her tongue over the nub. Belle fisted her hands into Ruby's hair and Ruby used her hand to hold down Belle's bucking hips.

"Ruby," Belle screamed as she reveled in the worship of her body. Belle felt herself getting closer and closer to the edge. Ruby seemed to sense it and thrusted two fingers into Belle's pussy. A couple of deep thrusts and Belle came with Ruby's name on her lips. Ruby continued her movements throughout the waves of Belle's orgasm.

Belle panted as she laid on the bed, feeling as though she had just ascended into heaven. Ruby pulled her fingers out of her and moved up to capture Belle's lips with her own. Belle moaned as she tasted herself on Ruby's lips. "That. Was. Incredible," Belle said between kisses.

"I love you," Ruby smiled at her. Belle's heart melted at the amount of love she saw in Ruby's eyes as she looked at her.

"I love you too," Belle smiled back. She reached behind Ruby's back and worked on unhooking Ruby's bra. Soon she managed to free the hooks and slipped the bra down Ruby's arms. Belle stared at Ruby's chest as she tossed Ruby's bra across the room. She hooked her leg around Ruby and flipped their position so that she was on top. "It's your turn now."

Ruby moaned in approval as she ached with need all over. Belle quickly pulled off her panties and tossed them away. Sitting up, she looked Ruby up and down. "You're so sexy," Belle said breathlessly. She leaned in to kiss Ruby's lips as her fingers made their way to Ruby's core.

While Ruby's movements had been quick and sure, Belle's were hesitant. She had never been with a woman like this before, and she was going based on what she had read in books. She positioned her fingers at Ruby's entrance, grateful that Granny had given her those nail clippers, though a little embarrassed as she realized the women's intention of the gift. She slowly slid two of her fingers into Ruby and pulled her lips away to watch the look of pleasure on Ruby's face. She started to thrust her fingers in and out, enjoying the sounds of Ruby's moans.

Belle started to speed up her movements and Ruby's moans increased in volume. Belle moved her lips down to Ruby's neck, kissing the exposed skin. Belle pressed her thumb to Ruby's clit and used her free hand to hold Ruby's hips down. Belle tentatively curled her fingers inside. After a few tries, her fingers found a rough patch. Belle continued to hit that spot as she could feel Ruby getting close. She quickly added a third finger and few more thrusts sent Ruby over the edge.

As Ruby came down from her high, Belle pulled her fingers out and placed them in her mouth to taste Ruby. It was one of the sweetest things she had tasted and she could definitely get used to this.

Belle rolled off of Ruby to the other side of the bed. She rolled onto her side and took Ruby's hand in her own. Ruby showed her appreciation by leaning in and recapturing Belle's lips. She pulled away and tentatively asked, "That was amazing, but I thought you were with Rumple."

"Not anymore," Belle told her, "After you left, I realized how much you meant to me and I knew that I wanted to be with you."

Ruby smiled, "You must really love me if you came all of this way to find me."

"Yeah," Belle smiled, "I'm really glad that I did." Belle knew that she meant it with all of her heart. Seeing Ruby's smile and feeling her heart flutter confirmed that she had made the right choice.

"How is everyone?" Ruby asked.

"They're fine, but they miss you terribly," Belle replied.

Ruby sat up, "Let's go home tomorrow."

Belle nodded in relief. She was started to miss Storybrooke and was looking forward to returning with Ruby by her side. "I'd love that."

Another kiss and Ruby straddled Belle, "But right now, I have other plans for you." Belle could only grin as she looked up at the woman she was finally reunited with.


	10. Chapter 10

"You walked the entire way here?" Claire asked incredulously as she drove her car down the highway. She looked back at Ruby and Belle through her rearview mirror to see their hands intertwined as they faced forward, both of them looking happier than they ever been in the time she knew them. It had been a shock the previous evening when they had come to the café, after a day of doing who knows what, to tell her that Ruby's memories had returned and that they needed her to drive them to Storybrooke. It had been hard for Claire to wrap her mind around it, as Ruby told her all about her life. It almost seemed as if Ruby's memories had come back by magic, but Claire was skeptical. Years in the real world had made her cynical to the possibility of fairy tales. Yet Claire couldn't rationally explain what had happened.

Claire had immediately agreed to drive them back. She and Ruby had become close friends over the short time that they had known each other. The red-loving girl and her dorky bookworm girlfriend had grown on her over the week. Besides, she wanted to see this Storybrooke for herself. She had never heard of the town before, but it sounded like a magical place, much like Tahiti.

"Belle can't drive," Ruby answered for the both of them, "and it's hard to take public transportation when you don't know where you're going." Belle glanced out of the window at the passing forest. She couldn't believe how far that she had traveled, but that seemed so long ago.

"How did a bunch of fairytale characters end up in Maine anyway?" Claire asked skeptically, keeping her eyes on the road, her GPS telling her that they were about 20 miles away from the town.

"Magic," Ruby and Belle both answered in unison. They looked at each other and smiled, sharing a short and sweet kiss.

Claire ignored the weirdness of the answer; she'd get to bottom of it when they arrived. "You two are adorable," she said sweetly, then with a harsher tone, "It's nauseating." She laughed to show the two that she was joking. In reality, she was happy that her new friends were happy, even though her heart yearned for a love like theirs.

"You'll still come visit us, right?" Ruby asked playfully.

"Of course," Claire replied, "I'm going to miss you two." They spent the rest of the trip in silence and they soon arrived at the "Welcome To Storybrooke" sign. "Doesn't look magical to me." She drove through the town, seeing nothing extraordinary about the buildings that made up the main road of the town. When they reached a diner called, "Granny's," Ruby told her to pull aside. Claire parked the car in an available parking space and turned it off.

Both Ruby and Belle were thrilled to be back in Storybrooke, but Ruby was a little nervous. Even though she knew now that Belle loved her, she wondered if she would still be forgotten by the ones that she called friends, now remembering why she left in the first place. Belle noticed her nervousness and squeezed her hand. "It'll be alright," Belle reassured her as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Ruby followed suit and they got out of the car. Belle led Ruby and Claire up to the front door. She opened the door and the three of them walked inside.

A room full of cheers greeted them. Almost all of Storybrooke's residents were sitting in the diner, drinking glasses of beer or sodas by the kids. A sign hung over the counter that said, "Welcome Home Ruby and Belle," in huge letters. Walking towards them was a beaming Granny. She stopped in front of Ruby and grabbed her, pulling her into a hug. "Welcome home Red."

Ruby grinned as she embraced her Grandmother. Before she could say anything, Granny pulled away and she sternly said, "Don't ever do that again."

"I won't," Ruby replied, knowing that the words were true, "I promise."

Granny hugged Belle next. "Thanks for bringing her home," Granny whispered, "I knew you could do it." Next Granny turned to Claire, "And you must be Claire." She held out her hand, "Thanks for taking care of my granddaughter."

Claire took the woman's hand and shook it, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lucas." Looking around at the people, Claire didn't see anything out of the ordinary, at least until she spotted a man wearing leather with a hook for a hand drinking rum at the bar. At that moment, Claire realized that everything Belle and Ruby had told her about Storybrooke was true. Claire nearly fainted from shock, but instead made a beeline for the bar mumbling that she needed a drink.

As Granny went back to the bar, Snow and Charming came up to Ruby. "We're so sorry," Snow told her, "We didn't mean to neglect you. You're like family to me and I'm sorry that we hurt you."

"It's okay," Ruby said embracing her best friend and her husband, "We'll make things work."

Emma came up next and hugged Ruby, "Welcome back." She hugged Belle next and whispered, "I'm glad that I could help." Belle nodded, remembering their conversation.

Regina took a few tentative steps toward the two of them, looking unsure of whether to come forward any more. Ruby went forward and hugged Regina, "Thanks for helping us."

"My pleasure," Regina smiled, "I'm glad I could help. Besides, I love making the imp suffer."

Said imp was limping his way over to Belle, "Hello. It's good to see you again." He had a pained expression on his face, but he did not look angry.

"How are you feeling Rumple?" Belle asked with genuine concern. Even though she knew that she made the right choice in picking Ruby, she still cared about her ex.

"I've been better," Rumple replied in a rare moment of honesty, "I'm glad you're happy."

"Thanks," Belle said, "Take care of yourself." They shared a brief hug before Rumple limped away and everyone started talking amongst themselves.

After checking on Claire who didn't want to leave her stool at the bar, Ruby and Belle went to sit with Snow, Charming, and Emma. Snow caught them up on what they had missed. Ruby was surprised and amused that several weeks had gone by without a villain, magical fight, or an unknown blood relation causing trouble in Storybrooke.

As they were talking, Whale came up to them and asked to talk to Ruby. She was hesitant, but she agreed to accompany him outside. When they stepped outside, Whale immediately said, "I'm not really good at this apology thing, but I'm really sorry for my behavior. I was out of line and I hope that you can forgive me."

Ruby hesitated for a moment, and then took a deep breath. "I accept your apology. My offer of friendship is still on the table if you want it."

Whale smiled, "I'd like that." He held out his hand and Ruby shook it. Whale went back inside, but Ruby stayed outside for a while, breathing in the magical air of Storybrooke. She looked down the street and she realized that despite the memories of her past, she loved this life, this town, and these people. Good times and bad times, this place was her home. Still, there was one thing she needed to do.

Making her way back into the diner, she smiled over at Belle and gave her a signal to say, "Give me a minute." She scanned the patrons, looking for the person that she wanted to talk to. She found him at one of the booths, eating a slice of pie. She walked up and cleared her throat. Archie looked up and smiled at her, "Welcome home Ruby."

"Thanks," Ruby replied, "Listen, I was wondering if I could schedule an appointment with you, if you still take appointments of course, maybe make it a bi-weekly thing?" Even though she was feeling better, she felt that maybe talking to someone about her problems would help her feel better.

"I have an opening on Tuesday at noon," Archie said.

"I'll take it," Ruby said, knowing that she could easily talk Granny into giving her some time off, "Thanks."

Claire watched the people in the diner, slowly identifying people to their fairytale counterparts. The whole thing was fascinating, yet disturbing to her. She took another sip of beer as a handsome man sat next to her.

"Having fun?" The man asked. "Or freaking out?"

Claire studied the man, "Who are you supposed to be?"

The man shrugged, "Frankenstein, but everyone calls me Whale."

"That was my favorite book growing up," Claire said excitedly. Her face scrunched up in confusion, "That's not a fairytale though."

"I'm not from the same place as everyone else," Whale said, "Not everyone here gets their happy endings."

"Well, it's not that much better in the real world," Claire replied sadly.

The two of them looked at each other before Whale asked, "Do you want to get out of here?"

"Absolutely," Claire replied allowing herself to be lead out of the diner by Whale.

Ruby watched the two leave with bemused interest as she walked back over to Belle. She rejoined her booth, sliding next to Belle and gave her a peck on the lips.

The evening winded down as Ruby and Belle talked to Snow, Charming, Emma, Regina, and Granny. Soon, there was nobody left except Ruby, Belle, and Granny. Ruby offered to help clean up, but Granny shooed her and Belle out of the diner. "Where did Claire go?" Belle asked as they left the diner.

"I saw her leave with Whale," Ruby replied. Upon Belle's concerned expression, she said, "She'll be fine. We'll say goodbye to her tomorrow morning before she leaves."

They walked hand in hand to the library and Belle's apartment. "What are you thinking?" Belle asked as they walked.

Ruby figured how to put her thoughts into words. After a few moments she replied, "I thought leaving town and starting over would make me happy. But I know now that I don't belong anywhere else. I have everything I could ever want here. Family, friends, the girl of my dreams." Belle blushed at that, but Ruby continued, "I'd rather be here with all of my memories than out there with none." Belle stopped and faced Ruby, standing on her toes to kiss the taller girl.

They stopped in front of the library, and Belle pulled out the keys. "I love you Ruby, and I'm looking forward to making new memories for the rest of our lives."

They kissed again, Ruby grinning like a kid on Christmas, "I love you too and I'm looking forward to all of those memories too. Thanks for bringing me home."

Belle opened the door and pulled Ruby inside, "I'm glad I did," Belle kissed Ruby again. With that she lead her upstairs to her apartment, knowing that the evening, and the rest of their lives were just beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have never read any of my stories, I do a Behind The Scenes essay for each of my multi-chapter stories as a way to explain my writing process. I post these on my tumblr (onthecyberseas) and you can find all of them through the "BTS" link in the main menu.


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